Improvement in wagon-tomgue attachments



W. M. 'BE'RNHARD.

Wagon-TongueAttachment.

No.162,214, Patented AprH20,l875.

, ties?! Inveniar- THE GRAPHIC CO PHDTO .-L|TH.39 8:41 PARK PLAOEJLY. a

WILLIAM M. B'ERNHARD, OF MORRISTOWN, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-TONGUE ATTACHMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,2 [4, dated April 20, 1875 application filed March 3, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. BERN- -HARD, of Morristown, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon- Hounds and Tongue Attachment to Hounds; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wagon-hounds, and to the attaching thereto of the tongue; and it consists in the employinn of a long straight hound extending well forward along the tongue, and in the attachment of the tongue to a draft-bar secured far back on said hounds, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 an under-side view, and Fig. 3 a sectional view, of my invention.

a are the hounds. They are made straight with the grain of the wood. Their forward ends extend, and are beveled on their inner sides, so as to neatly fit against the tongue at a point opposite the hind legs of the horses. The forward ends of the hounds are bound together by the straps a a, the strap a being made stirrup-shape, to admit of the necessary raising of the tongue when the wheels descend into a gutter or other depression. I) is the draftbar. It is securely bolted to the hounds, and gives strength to the latter. It is secured at a point in front of the axle where the ordinary short hounds would end. It is bolted to the under side of the hounds, and it is secured to the tongue, as hereinafter described. 0 are the two jaws or bosses, formed on or attached to the central point of the draft-bar I). They may be formed or welded upon the draft-bar, or bolted to said bar, as shown; or the hinge herein described, which attaches the tongue to the draft-bar, may be made vertically, so that the loose bolt or draft-pin, hereafter mentioned, will pass through horizontally. As shown in the drawings, the upperjaw is made to slightly tlare or incline upward, so as to give facility for the raising of the tongue, and they are provided with holes 0 through which passes the draft pin or bolt 0 d is the tongue. It fits neatly between the beveled ends or jaws of the hounds, and extends back of the beveled part or jaws of the hounds, where it is secured, as hereafter described, which gives it firmness sidewise or horizontally. It is provided with the bar, hereafter described, bolted to its under side, by which it is secured to the draft-bar. It has a vertical motion between the hounds and the straps a (o to permit proper adjustment when the wheels drop into a gutter or other depression. 0 is an iron bar or short tongue, bolted to the under side of the tongue, and extends backward from the end of the tongue sufliciently to form an attachment,'by which said tongue is secured to draft-bar b. It is pierced by a suitable hole, corresponding to the hole 0, and secured by the bolt 0 It will be seen that, the point of draft being near the axle and under the hounds, the

. wheels can be more readily lifted out of gutters or depressions, or over obstructions, than can be done with the ordinary short bounds; and, further, that, when one wheel only may come in contact with a stone or other obstruction, the long hounds, extending far forward on the tongue in front of the point of draft, gives the team greater lever power to retain the axle and tongue in their proper relation to the line of draft, and thus facilitates the lifting of said wheel over obstructions.

It will also be seen that the loose joint or hinge herein described enables the tongue to be quickly and easily detached, as is not the case in the ordinary attachments of tongue to hounds, which detaching of tongue is a great benefit, especially in the commonlyconstructed wagon-shed, where the tongue is left out in the weather if difficult to detach.

It will also be seen that the attachments, as set forth, make the straight hounds practicable, more durable, and easier made than the crooked hounds generally made.

\ Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the hounds a and tongue d, of the draft-bar b, bosses 0, and. bar e, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the straight hound a with the tongue 01, hinged to bar I) in rear of the beveled end of said hounds, as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. BERNHARD.

Witnesses J Arms HOOVER, WILLIAM: HANDEY. 

